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An Arizona couple has gone from reporting the news to becoming the news after their 4-month-old baby tested positive for cocaine. Oro Valley police say former Tucson TV reporters Krystin and Somchai Lisaius took their baby to a hospital on May 15 as she was "unable to wake up" and her "eyes were rolling," per Tucson Weekly. The couple refused a blood test, then left against medical advice, according to a police report. They later agreed to take the child to another hospital, where they again denied a blood test, police say. A urine test, however, tested positive for cocaine, reports People. Police say Krystin, 26, later admitted to breastfeeding the child 12 hours after using cocaine but said she didn't believe the child would be affected. Somchai, 42, also admitted to using cocaine about once every six weeks, police say.

A search of the couple's home turned up drug paraphernalia and cocaine, police say. Both parents were indicted June 9 on felony charges of child abuse and drug possession and pleaded not guilty on Monday, per KVOA. The child was released into the care of a grandmother after a few days in the hospital. Krystin is allowed unlimited access while Somchai can visit for up to 12 hours a day, reports Tucson News Now. "The facts are that these are excellent parents, the child was well taken care of, the child was never harmed and is responding beautifully," the couple's lawyer says. "It would be a gross, gross injustice [with] even the mention of prison time," he adds. "I anticipate they will demonstrate that they have learned a very hard, embarrassing lesson and that this will become a footnote in their life, not a chapter."

Obviously, no person carrying for a child should ever be under the influence of illegal drugs. It's irresponsible, it's dangerous, and could easily burden others with tragic consequences based on the decisions & actions far removed from themselves. That said, I have been strongly opposed to legislation in many states making it easier for parents, mostly women, to be prosecuted with a low threshold of evidence. But the same risks presented with illegal drugs are inherit with prescription & over-the-counter medications. But, it also has to be acknowledged that many of the drugs being prescribed to children carrying far greater risks. I'm not making any justifications for, or against, imposing penalties in certain circumstances. Accountability must exist when legitimate interests, intentional or otherwise, exist. But shouldn't our elected officials be held accountable when they breech their responsibility and endanger children and others where there can be no debate on the actual degree of harm? Drug users are, for the most part, addicts that require professional medical treatment in contrast to politicians that are elected to represent the interests of the people. The high-levels of lead that will have horrific consequences that will go on for decades in Flint, MI. Even in the instance that this was a mistake, the fact that the citizens weren't notified of these risks, or that the problem hasn't been addressed, no one has been held accountable, other than the few low-level officials. And this isn't just a problem in Flint, it's a problem that exists in every state. The real harm to our children, and adults for that matter, aren't limited to a single household, they are risks to entire populations. The degree of harm to millions of people on a single issue with water, should be a matter of grave concerns to all of us, yet how many will be so much as held accountable, let alone be prosecuted in the criminal courts? We have 70% of our nuclear power plants leaking a range of dangerous levels making their way through our water, land and the air we breath. Cancer clusters have been identified in numbers too great to ignore. There should be no tolerance for any act by any individual who endangers others, no matter if their citizens of elected officials. It's hypocrisy in the worse possible way.

Bo Honk

Jun 29, 2016 10:44 PM CDT

Friends commented that the baby was very self-assured and energetic for 4 months.